Rattle of (Gettysburg 




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Battle of (Gettysburg 



by 



Alfred E. Lee 



Late A. A. A. General First Brigade, Third Division, Eleventh Corps, Army 

of the Potomac, and Third Brigade, First Division, Twentieth Corps, 

Armies of the Cumberland and Georgia ; and Secretary of 

the Gettysburg Memorial Commission of Ohio 






Illustrated with Twenty Full Page I ft-'"'- ol Jobd / 



Engravings of the Ohio Memorials 



A. H. Smythe, Columbus, Ohio 

1888 

S.ft.T, 



.55 



"The world will little note nor long remember 
what we say here, but it can never forget what they 
did here." — 

President Lincoln at Gettysburg Nov. 19, 1863. 



PRESS OF NITSCHKE BROTHERS. COLUMBUS. O. 



(ri?c Battle of (Bcttysburg 



[Copyrighted by Alfred E. Lee. 



CHE battle of (Tettysburo; was the supreme crisis of the war. All 
the circumstant'es under which it took place conspired at the 
time, and will ever conspire, to draw ii})on it the world's 
attention as the culininatinii' point in the struiigle. P]vervthini;- was 
staked upon its issue. Plad it resulted in a decisive dei'eat to the 
National army, the National cause would, in all prol)ability, have been 
lost. There was ])ractically but one obstacle to prevent the Confed- 
erate array from iioiuii; wdiere and doing Avhat it pleased, and that 
obstacle was the Army of the Potomac. Had that army been over- 
wlielraed. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, aud Harrisburg would 
have been in ])eril of seizure by the enemy, the Natif)nal Capital would 
have been isolated, and tiie National Government captured or put to 
flight. All the great trunk line railways between the East and West 
would have been broken up, and the fierce mobs already iu preparation 
to resist the draft would have welcomed tlie triumphant Confederate 
host to all the principal seaboard cities. 

What would have saved the Union? l\aw, undisciplined militia 
would have been of bul Hi He avail to resist the march of such an army 
as that of (leneral Lee. That army had reached the summit of its 
power and prestige. It believed itself to be invincible. It was skill- 
fully led, well equipped, and composed of such fighting material as 
only Americans seasoned and trained in war can make. Excepting 
the forts around Washington, there were no f()rmida1)le artificial 
obstructions in its path. It was in a productive country, where it 
could subsist indefinitely. The armies of the West, even after the 
surrender of Vicksburg, could not have spared adequate help to resist 

97 



it. Those armies, as was soon demonstrated at ('liickamaui>;a, had 
quite sulhcient use lor all Iheir strength in their own Held of opera- 
tions. The success oi" Lee at Gettysburg would have freshly imparted 
a tremendous impetus to the secession movement. 

On the other hand, the permanent ebb of that cause began with 
the repulse of Longstreet on Cemetery Ridge. The little coppice which 
L'ickett aimed for, and beside which Armistead fell, was indeed " the 
high-water mark of the Rel)ellion." From the moment that supreme 
effort failed on the afternoon of July 3, 18(33, until the tinal collapse at 
Appomattox, the Confederacy steadily lost ground, and, what was 
worse, lost heart, hope, and prestige. Its mightiest army, under its 
greatest leader, had done its utmost and failed; the entire North was 
tired anew with patriotic resolve, and there was no reasonable hope 
left for the independence of the South. Had reason prevailed rather 
than pride and passion, the bloody logic of Gettysburg would have 
been accepted, and the war would have ended Ihen and there. 

Viewing it in its physical aspects, we are amazed at the magni- 
tude and fierceness of the battle. Never was there a more tremen- 
dous shock of arms. Greater armies have fought each other, but the 
concentrated rush and grapple of force with Ibrce at Gettysburg were 
perhaps unequaled. The fight continued three days and nights; its 
theatre covered a space of twenty-five square miles, and when it ended 
nearly fifty thousand men lay dead or wounded on the field. Nearly 
five thousand horses were slaughtered in the conflict. Forests through 
which the rage of the battle blazed were struck dead as by fire, and 
fields and hill-tops were plowed by hurricanes of shot and shell such 
as the eye of man had never before witnessed. Fighting as desperate 
took place afterwards in Grant's Wilderness campaigns, where the 
contending armies were for the most part hidden from each other by 
the dense forests, but never was there such a prodigious duel as here 
between two armies in full sight of each other. 

Gettysburg has been called the most dramatic battle of the war, 
and the arena in which it was fought was one well adapted to lend it 
scenic grandeur. The ancient Greeks, in constructing their open-air 
theatres, were accustomed to place the stage so as to bring some strik- 
ing object into view as a suitable setting to the play. At Taormina, 
smoking Etna was the background chosen, and at Syracuse it was a 



iiraiiite peaks. se])araied iVom each other ])y a narrow ravine, and 
known as Round Toj) and Little Round 'J'o]). The h)ttiest and most 
distant oi' these })eaks is Round Top, which rises to a height oC 400 
feet above the waters of Plum Run. 

East of Gettysburg, and of Cemetery Hill, the Ridge terminates 
in a precipitous, forest-covered height known as Gulp's Hill, which is 
separated by the ravine of Rock C'reek frojn another eminence known 
as Wolf's Hill. 

The collision of the two armies on this field was an accident. 
Neither commander had planned to meet the other here. Each one 
hoped to light in a defensive position, and each expected to choose his 
own ground for so doing, l)ut neither of them seems to have thought 
of Gettysburg in this connection, or to have been at all acquainted 
with the country thereabouts. The advance columns of the C-onfed- 
erate army had approached the Susquehanna, and were about to move 
on Harrisburg when they were given pause In^ General Hooker's 
menaces upon their line of communications in the Cumberland Val- 
ley. To checkmate any movement of Hooker's in that direction, Gen- 
eral Lee determined to cross over the mountains to the east, and throw 
himself upon the broad open highways to Philadelphia and Baltimore. 
In this way he hoped to compel the National army to defend its own 
line of communications, or to uncover Washington, and tight, per- 
haps, at the gates of Baltimore or Philadel])hia. Accordingly, on the 
29th of June, he gave orders which, if carried out, would have concen- 
trated the wdiole Confederate army at Cashtown, on the eastern slope 
of the South Mountain, ten miles from Gettysl)urg. 

The itinerary of the campaign prior to to this time may V)e briefly 
stated: On the 1st of June the armies of General Hooker and General 
Lee confronted each other along the Rappahannock, in the vicinity of 
Falmouth and Fredericksburg. Their positions were those assumed 
directly after the battle of Chancellorsville. On the 3d, Lee, leaving 
A. P. Hill's Corps to watch and detain Hooker, started the Corps of 
Ew^ell and Longstreet on their northward march, via Culpeper. Long- 
street reached Culpeper on the 7th, and Ewell arrived there also on 
the 9th. Stuart's Cavalry (9,500 strong, with thirty guns) was at Fleets 
wood Hill, near Brandy Station. 

100 



On the 5th Hooker directed a reeonnoissance by tlie Sixth Corps, 
of which Howe's Division crossed below Fredericksbura; and encoun- 
tered Hill's Corps still in position. On the 7th Hooker ordered a 
reeonnoissance towards Culpeper l)v the cavalry, now under Pleas- 
onton. On the 9th Pleasonton, supported by two brigades of infantry 
(Ames's and Russell's), encountered Stuart at Fleetwood, and, after a 
severe action, had to withdraw, 1)ut not without unmasking Lee's move- 
ment. (Jeneral Hooker now proposed to cross the Kappahannock and 
move on Richmond, but the President demurred, telling him that 
Lee's army, and not Richmond, was his " true objective point." 
Hooker therefore Ijegan shifting his army to the right and rear, corre- 
sponding to the movements of his adversary. Placing General Rey- 
nolds in command of his Right Wing, comprising the First, Third, and 
Eleventh Corps, and the cavalry, he directed him to proceed with it 
along the line of the Orange & Alexandria Railway towards Manassas. 
This movement began on the 12th, on which date the Eleventh Corps, 
marching from Brooks's Station, on the Acquia Creek Railway, arrived 
at Catlett's. The Third Corps at the same time took position at Rap- 
pahannock Station, and the P^irst at Bealton. 

Meanwhile EwelTs Corps, comprising three divisions and twenty 
batteries, and preceded by two brigades of cavalry under Jenkins and 
Imboden, having quitted Culpeper on the lOtli, pushed rapidly north- 
ward via Sperryville and Flint Hill, crossed the Blue Ridge at Chester 
Gap, and on the Pith penetrated the Shenandoah Valley at Front 
Royal. With two divisions, Early's and Johnson's, Ewell moved from 
Front Royal directly on Winchester, while Rodes's Division pushed 
ahead via Berryville towards Martinsburg. At this time General R. 
H. Milroy was in command in the Valley, under General R. C. 
Schenck as department commander, at Baltimore. Milroy's force 
comprised 7,000 etlectives, of which one brigade, under Colonel 
McReynolds, was at Berryville. 

Unadvised of and not suspecting Lee's movement, Milroy with- 
drew McReynolds I'rom the path of Rodes, but remained at AVin- 
chester, where he was surprised and virtually surrounded by Ewell on 
the 14th, and lost most of his command in killed, wounded, and 
captives. On the evening of the same day Rodes attacked the small 

101 



National garrison, under Colonel Tyler, at Martinsbiirg, and obliged it 
fall l)ack on Harper's Ferry. 

Pursuing Milroy's fugitives, Jenkins crossed the Potomac at 
Willianisport on the 14th, and on the lOtli entered Chambersburg. 
At the same time Imboden, advancing I'rom Romney, seized and 
broke uj) the Baltimore A: Ohio Railway, and on the 17tli occupied 
Cumberland. Awaiting the arrival of Longstreet and Hill, EwelPs 
three divisions remained at Willianisport and south to Winchester 
until the 19th, Rodes's Division being at Willianisport. 

Quitting Culpeper on the 15th, Longstreet moved along the 
eastern base of the Blue Ridge, crossing which at kSnickers Gap, he 
neared Winchester on the 19th. This movement was covered by 
Stuart's cavalry, keeping to the right, and falling into frequent com- 
bats with Pleasonton's troopers while endeavoring, though not suc- 
cessfully, to dispute with them the passes of the Bull Run Mountains. 
Most notable among these combats were those at Aldie on the 17th, at 
Middleburg on the 19th, and at Uj)perville on the 21st, in all of which 
the Confederates were worsted. Forcing back Stuart, Pleasonton's 
squadrons gained the summit of the Blue Ridge, and from thence 
ol)served the movements of Lee's whole army down the Yalley. 

Admonished by EwelFs advance on Winchester, Llooker, on the 
13th, put the Second, Fifth, and Twelfth Corps in motion northward, 
and A. P. Hill, being thus relieved from further necessity of watching 
the Rappahannock, immediately set out upon the track of Ewell to 
rejoin Lee. General Hooker now kept his army well in hand, cover- 
ing Washington and Baltimore. On the 22d, the Eleventh and Twell'th 
Corps, supported by the First at Guilford, were on the line of (lOose 
Creek, near Leesburg ; the Fifth was at Aldie, and the Second was at 
Hopewell and Thoroughfare Gaps, supported l)y the Third at Gum 
Springs. Pleasonton's Cavalry, having withdrawn to Aldie, covered 
the approaches to Leesburg. 

Having concentrated his army on the banks of the Potomac, Lee 
now gave it the signal to advance into Maryland and Pennsylvania. 
Ewell's Corps, of which Johnson's Division had already been posted 
at Sharpsburg, led otf, with instructions to move on Harrisburg. On 
the 21th and 25th, A. P. Hill's Corps crossed the Potomac at Shep- 
herdslown, and Longstreet's at Williams])ort, and on the 27t]i united 

102 



their columns at Chambersburg. Taking with him the divisions of 
Johnson and Rodes, Ewell pushed rapidly up the Cumberland Val- 
ley, and readied Carlisle on the 27t]i, while Early, to cover the tiank 
ill tlie absence of Stuart's Cavalry, kept further to the right, with 
instructions to move on York, break up the Central Railway, burn the 
Susquehanna Bridge at Wrightsville, and rejoin Ewell at Carlisle. 
Early reached Greenwood and Gettysburg on the 26th, Berlin on the 
27tli, and York and Wrightsville on the 28tli. On the 27tli, Jenkins, 
preceding EwelTs column, arrived at Kingston, from whence he ad- 
vanced, skirmishing, within three or four miles of Harrisburg. Gor- 
don's Brigade, which advanced to Wrightsville, intended to cross the 
Susquehanna at that point, and move l)y the left bank on Harrisburg, 
but was thwarted by the Pennsylvania militia, which fired the bridge 
and destroyed it. 

Meanwhile, Stuart, either misunderstanding or disregarding the 
wishes of Lee, started on a useless raid around General Hooker's right, 
lietween his army and Washington. From the time this raid began 
until it ended on the 2d of July, Stuart's force was practically "put 
out of the fight.'" Starting from Salem, and making a long detour to 
avoid the Second Corps, Stuart moved via Fairfax Station and Dranes- 
ville, crossed the Potomac at Seneca Creek, a few miles above Wash- 
ington, and then pushed nortliward via Rockville, where he captured 
and destroyed a large supply train. At Hanover, on the 30th. Stuart 
was intercepted by Kilpatrick's Division of Cavalry, but managed to 
disengage liimself and proceed to York and Carlisle. He missed 
Ewell at both places, and rejoined him first at Gettysburg on the 2d 
of July, with horses and men thoroughly jaded. 

On the 29th, Hill was at Fayetteville with two divisions of liis 
corps, the remaining division (Heth's) being thrown forward to Cash- 
town. On the same day Longstreet moved from C]iambersl)urg to 
(ireenwood, leaving behind him Pickett's Division to guard tlie trains. 
Early's Division had meanwhile been recalled from Carlisle to join in 
the intended advance, in force, on Harrisburg, and on the 30tli 
encamped near Heidlersburg. 

Adjusting himself to Lee's movement, General Hooker led his 
entire army across the Potomac at Edwards's Ferry, and grouped it 
around JMiddletown and Frederick. The First, Third, and Eleventh 

103 



Corps, comprisini;' the Left Wing, crossed on the 25th, tlie remaining 
corps, with the cavalry, on the 2()th and 271 li. Tlie Twellth Corps, 
under General Slocuni, proceeded to Knoxville, within three miles of 
Harper's Ferry, with instructions to unite with tlie garrison there in 
following closely upon Lee's rear, and severing liis communications 
with Virginia. With his army thus concentrated, and the tSouth 
Mountain defiles in his possession, General Hooker was prepared to 
precijiitate his entire force into the Cumberland Valley, in support of 
tSlocum, or to continue his movement northward along the eastern 
base of the Mountain, as circumstances might require. Upon learning 
that the enemy was at York and Carlisle he determined, says Double- 
day, '' to throw out his dilferent corps in a fan shape toward the Sus- 
quehanna, and advance in that direction with three corps on the lelt 
to defend that Hank, in case Longstreet and Hill should turn east, 
instead of keeping on toward the north. At the same time it was his 
intention to have Slocum follow up Lee's advance by keeping in his 
rear, to capture his trains and couriers, and to cut olf his retreat should 
he be defeated." 

In the meantime, the Governor of Pennsylvania had issued a 
proclamation calling out ()0,000 militia to assist in defending the State. 
To organize and command this force, and the new Department of the 
Susquehanna, General Couch was taken from the command of the 
Second Army Corps, which tliereupon devolved upon General Han- 
cock. Hooker requested that Couch should be subordinated to his 
own direction, and that the garrison at Harper's Ferry should be with- 
drawn from that post — which it was no longer im])ortant to defend — 
and added to the active forces in the field. Both these requests being 
denied by the General-in-Chief at Washington (Halleck), General 
Hooker, deeming liis plans thwarted, asked to be relieved of his com- 
mand, whicli, by direction, he transferred (on the 28th) to General 
George G. Meade, then commanding the Fifth Army Corps. Couches 
Department was at once subordinated to .Meade, who was also per- 
mitted ( although Hooker had been forl)idden ) to withdraw the 
Harper's Ferry garrison to Frederick. 

General Meade affirmed that he was not aware of Hooker's plans. 
However that may be, he decided to move forward at once on the 
main line from Frederick to Harris])urg, extending the wings of his 
army on l)oth sides as far as consistent with rapid concentration, and 
intending to continue this movement until the enemy should be 

104 





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C.!T;tniii< Taneytown - - 




obliged to turn from the Susqiielianna and give battle. Accordingly, 

on the 21)th of June, the Army of the Potomac, directed by its new 

commander, resumed its march, and spread its moving columns out 

like a fan, with Huford's Cavalry on the left, Gregg's on the rigiit, and 

Kilpatrick's in advance. The Left Wing, comprising the First, Third, 

and Eleventh Corps, was led by General Reynolds, who gave over the 

command of his own corps ( First ) to General Doubleday. The Right 

Wing — Second, Sixth, and Twelfth Corps — was directed by Generla 

Meade in person. Tiie First and Eleventh Corps had already reached 

Emmittsburg, a beautiful Maryland village near the base of the South 

Mountain, twelve miles from (lettysl)urg. The Third and Twelfth 

Corps were now ordered to Taneytown, the Second, to Frizelburg, 

and the Sixth to New Windsor. 

105 



Still not aware that Lee was turning back from the Susquehanna, 
and concentrating towards Cashtown, General Meade, on the 80th, 
gave dire(^tions lor resuming the march July 1, as follows: The Third 
Corps (Sickles) to go to Emmittsburg; the Second (Hancock) to 
Taney town; the Plfth ( Sykes ) to Hanover; the Sixth (Sedgwick) to 
Manchester; the Twelfth ( Sh)cum ) to Two Taverns, and the First 
( Doubleday ) and Eleventh ( Howard ) to Gettysburg. But during 
the night of the 30tli, Meade learned of Lee's change of programme, 
and thereupon prepared a circular, withdrawing Reynolds and Slocum, 
and giving detailed instructions for the formation of the army in a de- 
fensive position at I'ipe ('reek, iifteen miles southeast from (Jettys- 
burg. This circular seems to have been intended as a 2)recaution 
rather than as a positive command, but whatever its purpose was, the 
name of Pipe Creek was not destined to emblazon the pages of history. 
The execution of the instructions embraced in the circular rested upon 
the contingency that the enemy should " assume the offensive and 
attack,'' yet by this very contingency the instructions were thwarted. 
They came too late to supersede the orders of march already issued 
for July 1, and thus, on that day, the two armies, as if guided by some 
iuvisible destiny, approached each other at a point where neither of 
them had planned or expected to meet. 

Lee's eastward movement was shnv, and on the night of the 30th 
his army was yet scattered, as follows : Of Longstreet's Corps, Pick. 
etfs Division w^as at Chambersburg, and Hood's and McLaws's at Fay- 
etteville. Of Ewell's (\)rps, the divisions of Rodes and Early were at 
Heidlersburg, and Johnson's was at Scotland, west of the Cashtown 
defile. Of A. P. Hill's (^orps, Anderson's Division was at the South 
Mountain Pass, on the Chambersburg Road, Pender's at Mummasburg, 
and Heth's at Cashtown. 

On the morning of June 30, Pettigrew's Brigade of Heth's Divi- 
sion pushed on from Cashtown towards Gettysburg, expecting to cap- 
ture there a supply of shoes, of wdiich the brigade was much in need. 
Much to his surprise, Pettigrew ran afoul of Buford's Cavalry ( which 
happened to be approaching i'rom Fountain Dale ) and withdrew to 
Marsh Creek, where he reported to Hill, at Cashtown, what had hap- 
pened. Buford, on the other hand, moved off towards Emmittsburg, 
and reported to Reynolds, by whose direction he proceeded at once to 
Gettysburg, with instructions to seize and hold the town. At the 
same time Hill ordered Pettigrew to march for Gettysburg at day- 
break next morning, and gave the same orders to his entire corps. 

106 



iL\}c Battles of tt^e ^irst I>aij 



5U0H was the chain of accidents whicli brouiilit tlie two 
armies into contact. BuforcVs force comprised bnt two 
Bria;ades — Devin's and Gamble's — with Oalefs Battery of 
liiiht guns, in all 2,200 men. Advancing beyond Seminary Kidge, 
he disposed this force — jjartly dismounted — in a semi-circle, cover- 
ing all the approaches i'rom the west and north. Devin's Brigade 
held his right. Gamble's his left. 

Bulbrd was firmly convinced that the enemy would attack him 
in force in his present position, and that a great battle would be 
fought there, or in that vicinity. ''Tomorrow morning," he said, 
" they will come booming down upon us three lines deep, and we 
shall have to fight desperately to hold our own until the infantry 
comes up.'' Accordingly Buford instructed his signal officers to 
keep a sharp look out for camp fires during the night, and in the 
morning for dust, and not long after sunrise the following morning 
plenty of "dust " made its appearance in front of his pickets. By 
six o'clock the enemy's head of column, Heth's Division, was seen 
approaching, and by eight his lines were sweeping down toward 
Willougliby Run. Buford's men, well ambuslied along the Run, 
with reserves on Seminary Ridge, opened fire, and the Battle of 
Gettysburg was begun. 

Heth puslied forward the brigades of Archer and Davis, which 
were soon followed and supported by those of Brockenbrough and 
Pettigrew. 

The fight soon grew hot, and Buford, confronted by an outnum- 
bering and rapidly increasing force, was becoming very anxious 
when his signal officer in the Seminary belfry announced the ap- 
proach of a long column of infantry by the Knimittsburg Road. 

107 



Hiilbrd went u]) (o llie belfry to verily the news, and while there 
lieard a familiar voice calling him. It was the voice of Reynolds, 
who had galloped ahead of Wadsworth's (First Corps) Division, 
which was the column the signal officer had descried. 

"What's the matter, JohnT' inquired lieynolds. 

"The deuce is to pay,'' answered Buford. 

" Can you hold out until the first Corps arrives ? " 

" I reckon I can," replied the sturdy cavalry chief. 

Reynolds immediately dispatched messengers to hurry the First 
Corps forw^ard, and also sent stressing messages to Sickles and 
Howard — Third Corps and Eleventh. To a staff officer of Howard's 
he expressed the wish tliat the Eleventh Corps, as it arrived, 
should be drawn up on Cemetery Hill as a reserve. 

The leading First Corps Division (Wadsworth's) arrived about 
10 a. m. It comprised Cutler's Brigade, and the so-called Iron 
Brigade, formerly Gibbon's. Cutler's Brigade, which arrived first, 
was immediately pushed forward by Reynolds to i-elieve (Tamble's 
cavalry, which was being hardly pressed. Taking Hall's Battery,^ 

^ Commanded by Captain, afterwards Brigadier General James A. Hall. 

and two of Cutler's regiments,- Reynolds moved out to the Ridge 



2 The Fourteentli Brooklyn and the Ninety-fifth New York. 

next east of Willoughby Run, and there posted the battery on the 
Chambersburg Road, and the regiments on the left of a railroad 
grade crossing the Ridge, while Wadsworth, with Cutler's three 
remaining regiments,^ extended the line on the right of the grade. 



* The Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, and the Seventy-sixth and One Hundred 
Forty-seventh New York. 

In this position Cutler was at once violently assailed by Davis, 
while Archer, on Davis' right, advanced to seize a triangular strip 
of timber known as McPherson's Wood, which covered the Western 
slope of the Ridge on Cutler's left. 

About this time General Doubleday, who had been l)ringing 
forward the divisions of Rowley and Robinson, arrived on the field, 
and sent for instructions to Reynolds, who replied : '' Tell Double- 
day I will hold this road [to Chambersburg] and he must hold that 

108 





^-^i*^>f.^^ 



fiSIMlALISElCTFIi 





-V .-% .^- 






one [to Haiierstowii].''"' At this jiinrtiire the Iron Brig;a(le (Mor- 
row's)^ was ap])roachin«j:;, and General Reynolds crossed over to tlie 

* Under Colouel Henry A. Morrow, of tlie Twenty-fourth Michigan In- 
fantry. 

edge of the timber to direct its movements. As soon as the lead- 
ing regiment^ arrived, he ordered it to charge into the wood, which 



* Second Wisconsin, under Colonel Lucius Fairchild. 

was lull of Confederate sharp-shooters. Tiien turning to see whether 
the supj)orts were coming, he was struck in the head by a mnsket 
ball, and fell dead from his horse. Thus, in the very l)eginning of 
the action the Army of tlie Potomac was deprived of one of its 
ablest and most promising officers. Not observing the fall of Rey- 
nolds, in the eagerness of its advance, Morrow's I^rigade charged 
through the wood, captured Archer, and one thousand of his men, 
and drove the rest of his lirigade across Willoughl)y Run at the 
l)oint of the fjayonet. 

While these events were taking ])lace on the lelt disaster befel the 
right, where Cutler's two right regiments were taken in fiank l)y 
Davis and driven ))ack. This obliged Wadsworth to recall the other 
regiments of (Sutler's Brigade, but one of them (the One Hundred 
Forty-seventy New York ) did not receive the order, and ])eiug nearlv 
surrounded, sutfered heavy loss. Hall's Battery, tiring canister, did 
great execution there, but lost one gun of which the iiorses were all 
killed. With loud yells the enemy pursued the beaten regiments 
toward the town. P'ortunately, Doul)]eday, now commanding the 
First Corps, had posted the Sixth Wisconsin ( Colonel Dawes ) and 
the Iron Brigade Headquarters (iuard as a reserve, and this force he 
now threw upon Davis's flank. Dawes was joined by Cutler's two left 
regiments under Prowler, and made such a vigorous attack that Davis 
was obliged to turn from the pursuit of ('utler and seek refuge in 
the Railroad Cut. Here the enemy made stubborn resistance, but 
Dawes brought a gun to bear enfilading the Cut, and Fowler swej)! it 
at the same time with his musketry. This cleared the Cut and 
obliged a good many of Davis' men to throw down their arms, while 
the remainder fled promiscuously. Alter tliis success by which the 
One Hundred Forty-seventh New York was relieved and HalFs 

10!) 



abandoned gun retaken, Morrow's Brigade was drawn back to MePher- 
soii's Wood, and Cutler's Brigade, of wliich the two right regiments 
had retreated to the town, was thrown forward to its original position. 
A pause in the coml)at now ensued, during which the First Corps 
might have l)een successfully and i:)erhaps advantageously witlidrawn 
to Cemetery Ridge. But Doubleday received no orders to withdraw, 
and preferred not to take the responsi])ility of quitting his position 
without orders. He therefore proceeded to extend and strengthen his 
line with Rowley's Division, which arrived at 11:30 a. .m,, followed by 
Robinson's. These divisions contained two brigades each, and num- 
bered, in all, between five and six thousand men. By Doubleday's 
direction, Rowley de])l()yed Riddle's Brigade forward on high ground 
to the leit of Morrow's Brigade, and put in Stone's Brigade'^ between 

"Known as the " Bucktail Brigade," and comprising the One Hundred 
Forty-second, -Forty-ninth, and-Fiftieth Pennsylvania Regiments. 

Morrow's and Cutler's, near the Chambersburg Pike. Robinson's 
Division was posted as a reserve near the Seminary, and there threw 
up a barricade. At the same time the enemy rectified his shattered 
line, which Hill re-enforced with the four heavy brigades of Pender's 
Division,'' and all the reserve artiller}^ numbering about eighty pieces. 

^ " It must be remembered that the enemy had but three corps, while the 
Union army had seven. Each of their corps represented a third, and each of ours 
a seventh of our total force. The same ratio extended to divisions and brigades."— 
Doubleday. 

While these events were taking place out on Seminary Ridge, 
General Howard arrived, and being tlie senior officer on the field, 
assumed the chief command. Seeing how severely Doubleday was 
pressed, and observing the retreat of j)art of Cutler's Brigade, Howard 
sent word ( mistakenly ) to Meade that the First Corps had been 
worsted, and dispatched messengers to hurry forward the Eleventh 
C'Orps and call up the Third. He also sent a request to Slocum to 
bring up the Twelfth Corps which was only iive miles distant.'' 

* General Howard so claims, but the request seems not to have reached 
General Slocum. At the recent dedication of New York memorials on ("ulp's Hill 
(July 2, 1888), General Slocum said, referring to the movements of the Twelfth 
Corps: "At noon on July 1 we were resting and awaiting orders at Two Taverns. 
The sound of the guns at the opening of this great battle on July 1 were heard 

110 



fifty miles to the north and west of the field, while we, owing to the crest of the 
hills between us and Gettysburg, and to the direction of the wind, lieard nothing of 
it, although we were only four miles distant. The first information I received 
came from a citizen living near Gettysburg, who stated that a battle was in prog- 
ress. Orders were at once given to move to this place, and Major Guindon, of my 
staff, was sent forward to give information of our approach, and learn where we 
were most needed. On our arrival Geary's division was sent at once to the left, to 
the Round Tops, and Williams's was placed on the crest east of Rock Creek." 

Tlie Eleventh Corps ( now under Schurz ) })e2;an to arrive about 
noon, having; marched from Emmittsbnrg ( twelve miles ) almost 
without a halt. As soon as the leading division ( Schurz's, under 
Sehimmel pfennig) reached the town, it was rushed through the streets 
on the " doul)le-quick,''' and into the open country beyond, with 
instructions to advance to Seminary Ridge and extend Doubleday's 
line along that eminence to Oak Hill. Barlow's Division, following, 
was directed to move out and take position on the right of Schimmel- 
l)fennig''s. Von Steinwehr's little division, with the reserve artillery 
of the Corps, was posted in reserve on Cemetery Hill. Fortunately, 
Von Steinwehr, an old Prussian officer, seeing the importance of this 
position, immediately fortitied it, and his heavy lunettes, though 
grass-grown, still alford visible evidence of his decision and foresight. 

Schimmelpfennig and Barlow, while moving through the open 
fields north of Gettysburg, soon ran against an obstacle. The batteries 
which Hill had posted on the Ridge, opposite Doubleday's riglit, let 
loose on them, but this was not all. While Doubleday had been 
fighting A. P. HilTs Corps, the divisions of Early and Rodes, of 
Ewell's Corps, had been nearing the field. Rodes coming ( from Car- 
lisle ) by the Newville, and Early ( from York ) by the Hunterstown 
Road, arrived at nearly the same time and swelled the Confederate 
force present and ready for action to fully treble our own. 

Rodes had five brigades and five l>atteries, all oi" which he 
deployed along the heights east of Willoughby Run, facing south. 
Iverson's Brigade, supported by Daniel's and Ramseur's, held his 
right, O'Neil's his centre, and Doles', extending as far east as the 
Carlisle Road, his left. Heth and Pender, whose divisions were by 
this time in lull strength, extended l)y the left so as to connect with 
Rodes's right. Thus Doul)leday's right fiank and rear were threatened 
by Rodes, and Schurz's by Early. Doubleday immediately drew back 

112 



his rifiht so as to adapt it to the new situation. What the Eleventh 
Corps (lid will be recounted further on. 

One of liodes's batteries, posted on Oak Hill, y;ave Doubleday his 
iirst notice that Ewell had arrived. Soon battery after battery opened 
fire from the same direction, and the whole range of hills east of Wil- 
loughby Kun was ablaze with Confederate cannon. The dispositions 
made by General l)()ul)leday to meet this new emergency were these: 
Cutler's Brigade, holdiug Wadsworth's right, was drawn back into the 
timl)er just north of the Railroad Cut on Seminary Ridge; Stone's 
Brigade, on Cutler's left, retained its commanding position — "the 
key point of the first day's battle," as Doubleday calls it — west of the 
ridge; Morrow's Brigade remained in the McPherson Wood; Biddle's 
Brigade faced to the nortli, and Baxter's Brigade, of Robinson's 
Division was directed, but failed, to fill the vacancy on Cutler's right 
between the right of the First Corps and left of the Eleventh. 

These arrangements were skillful and timely. Morrow's Brigade 
and Cutler's were concealed l)y timber; Biddle's front was covered by 
a ridge; Stone's was partially protected in like manner, and Baxter's, 
after liecoming engaged, was posted behind a stone fence. The bat- 
teries of Cooper and Stewart, and part of Reynolds', were put forward 
into action, and Stevens's was held in reserve. 

About half past two o'clock. Early got into position on Rodes's 
left, and Ewell and Hill sounded a general advance. '^From my 
position," says Colonel Stone, ''I was enabled to trace their formation 
for at least two miles. It appeared to be a nearly continuous double 
line of deployed battalions in mass as reserves." Two-thirds of the 
Confederate army was now on the field, and its lines stretched in a 
vast semi-circle clear around from the Millerstown Road on the south 
to the York Turnpike on the east, thus reaching beyond and envelop- 
ing both Hanks of the two little army corps now resolutely struggling 
against this overwhelming mass. 

The First Corps was first attacked. While fiercely plying his 
batteries, Rodes launched the Brigades of O'Neil, Iverson, and 
Daniels against those of Baxter, Cutler, and Stone. While taking 
position on Cutler's right, Baxter was assailed, first on his right flank 
and then on his lel't, by O'Neil, who was both times repulsed, Baxter 
then advanced and ainl)uslied his men ])eliind a stone Cence, which 

113 



Iverson's Brigade was aj)pr()achinii-. Waitini;' until Iverson's lines had 
approached within close rani;e, Baxter's men spranu up I'roni l)eliind 
the stone fence and delivered a volley with terrible eilect. Simulta- 
neously with this, Iverson's right was struck by Cutler, by Co()])er's 
Battery, and by the distant tire of Stone. AH this elfectually used up 
Iverson for the time being, and about a thousand of his men threw 
down their arms. 

While these events were passing, Stone's position was assailed by 
Daniels's Brigade, assisted by Davis's, of Hill's Corps. One of Stone's 
three regiments (the One Hundred Forty-ninth Pennsylvania, 
under Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight) was at this time posted in the 
Railroad Cut, some distance in front of the main line. After allowing 
the enemy to come up to a fence, within ])istol range, Dwight tired 
two volleys in rapid succession, and then charged and cleared his front 
with the bayonet. Upon returning to the Cut, Dwight found it entil- 
aded by the enemy's artillery, and withdrew to his original position on 
the Chambersbnrg Road. 

During this affair of Dwight's, Colonel Stone was severely 
wounded, and w^as succeeded in command by Colonel Wister, of the 
One Hundred Fiftieth Pennsylvania. 

Ramseur's Brigade now came to the assistance of Iverson, and 
Robinson personally led Paul's Brigade — Doubleday's last reserve — 
to the relief of Baxter. Then Daniels and Davis renewed their 
assault upon Stone's Brigade (under Wister), and on their right 
Brockenbrough and Pettigrew led their brigades against Morrow's. 
Wister repulsed the attack made upon him, and the Iron Brigade held 
its ground. During this aifair. Colonels Wister and Huidekoper were 
severely wounded, the latter while leading a charge with Wister's 
Regiment. 

During the progress of the battle on this part of the field, an old 
man in a swallow-tailed coat and bell-crowned hat came stalking 
across the fields from the town, and made his aj^pearance at Colonel 
Stone's position. With a musket in his hand and ammunition in his 
pockets, this venerable citizen asked Colonel AVister's permission to 
fight. Wister directed him to go over to the Iron Brigade, wliere he 
would be sheltered by the woods; but the old man insisted on going 
forward to the skirmish line, then and there. He was allowed to do 

114 



so, and continued firinii' until the skirmishers retired. He afterwards 
fought witli the Iron Bripide, where he received three wounds. This 
patriotic and lieroic citizen was Consta])le John Burns, of (irettysburg. 

The First Corps had by this time sutlered heavy loss, and had all 
its reserves in line. The enemy, on the other hand, had plenty of 
reserves, and had gained ])ositions for his batteries wdiich gave an 
immense leverage to his onset. Directly the storm burst again. Hill's 
Division, and part of Rodes's, fell unitedly upon the First Corps and 
enveloped its Hanks, right and left. To this assault our troops, infan- 
try, and artillery made obstinate l)ut unavailing resistance. On the 
left, Biddle, though his lines were entiladed, made the Confederates 
pay dearly for every inch of gronnd they gained. In the center. Mor- 
row's Brigade, reserving its tire nntil the enemy came within eighty 
paces, repelled and nearly annihilated Scales's Brigade. Cutler, taking 
position in the Railroad Cut, held out long enough to enalde our bat- 
teries to limber up and get aw^ay. 

During these struggles, General Paul was struck l)y a musket 
ball, which passed through l)()th his eyes, leaving him totally Idind. 
Colonel Morrow was also wounded, and the entire line was forced 
back on Seminary Ridge. There twelve jDieces of artillery were 
massed behind the rail l)arricade thrown up by Robinson, aud a last 
stand was attempted. By the resistance made there, the enemy was 
held back sufficiently to enable the artillery and ambulances to with- 
draw. Then, leaving ])e!iind it one gun and a few caissons, what was 
left of the First Corps fell back to Cemetery Hill. 

We now turn to the events which took place on the right. 

Forestalled by Rodes in the occupation of Oak Hill, Schimmel- 
pfennig's light division of the Eleventh Corps was brought to a halt in 
the open fields about midway between Seminary Ridge and the town. 
The left of the division rested on the Mummasl)urg Road. Van Ams- 
berg's Brigade occupied the space between that Road and the Carlisle 
Road, and Krzyzanowski's Brigade prolonged the line from the Carlisle 
Road across the wheat fields and meadows to the right, where Barlow's 
Division was advancing. Wheeler's Battery and four pieces of Dilger's 
Avere stationed on the left of the Carlisle Road, and two of Dilger's on 
the right of that Road, near the Poor House Lane. Between the left 
of the Eleventh Corps, on the Mummasburg Road, and the right of the 

115 



First Corps on Seminary Kidge, there was a vacancy in the line liilly 
a quarter of a mile wide. 

Some hundreds of yards in front of Krzyzanowski a brook coursed 
across the meadows I'rom Seminary Ridge to Rock Creek, and Barlow 
was aiming to establish his right upon the high tiinl)ered ground — now 
known as BarlowV Knoll — near the mouth of this streamlet. Devin's 
cavalry brigade had just quitted that position and Ew^elFs pickets had 
just occupied it. To retake it, Barlow's men, dropping their knap- 
sacks at the Alms House, dashed forward on the double quick. Von 
Gilsa's Brigade quickly cleared the timl)er, and went into position with 
its right resting on Rock Creek. Ames's Bi-igade came up between 
Von Gilsa and Krzyzanowski, and Wilkinson's United States Battery 
was brought Ibrward to assist in holding the ground taken. 

Antecedent to these movements Early's Division of Ewell's Corps 
had arrived by the York Road, and had been deployed on the hills east 
of Rock Creek. (lordon's Brigade held Early's right, Hays's his centre, 
and Hoke's his left. Smith's followed in reserve. 

The situation of the Eleventh Corps at this time was, in some 
respects, strikingly similar to that wdiicli it occupied at Chancellors- 
ville just prior to Stonewall Jackson's onslaught. Here, as there, 
neither its right or left flank had any connection; here, as there, but 
more fortunately than there, an important part of its Ibrce was 
detached and absent; and here, as there, Jackson's old command was 
])earing down upon its right and rear. Reaching far out beyond its 
right, part of Early's Division was already making straight for the 
town of Gettysburg, 

From its position on the plain, Schimmelpfennig's Division had 
witnessed Doubleday's struggle with O'Neil, Brockenbrough, and Iver- 
son, and from the same position it now, with still livelier interest, saw 
Doles's Brigade coming down trom Seminary Ridge to attack Von 
Amsberg. Doles's left flank had no apparent support or connection, 
and Barlow was about to go forward and strike it just as Von Gilsa, 
holding (as at Chancellors ville) the extreme right of the Eleventh 
Corps, discovered Early's Division moving upon his right flank and 
rear." 

'^ In a recent conversation with the writer (July 2, 1888,) General Gordon 
stated, in explanation of the movements of his brijjade, that as he approached 
Barlow's Knoll from the York Turnpike he could plainly perceive that our troops 

116 





.. cf THtesirts:- 



'^Y^ 





!a «•'■'■., 



(Eleventh Corps) were driving back the left of Doles's Brigade. General Gordon 
further stated that his attack, falling upon Barlow's right and rear, relieved Doles 
and enabled him to swing around on a right wheel and join his left with Gordon's 
right. The two brigades (Doles's and Gordon's) then advanced simultaneously, a 
part of Gordon's, as General Gordon himself informed nie, reaching the town in 
advance of anj- of our troops. [A. E. L. 

Tliere now remained to Sclmrz's two small divisions but one pos- 
sible chance of makinj;- snccessfiil resistance, and that was by change 
of front to the riiiht and rear, in echelon with the right of the First 
Corps. ^ ^^ But just the opposite of this was done, and the two divisions, 

'"The Conite de Paris, an impartial and capable military judge, says (vol. 
Ill, p. 560 ) : " Since he declined to [rather could not] occupy Oak Hill, Howard 
should have brought back the Eleventh Corps to the rear in order to form a strong 
connection between his left and the right of the First Corps. * * * 

Instead of this, he leaves unoccupied between these two corps a space battered by 
the guns of Oak Hill to which his two batteries cannot reply ettectively, and instead 
of closing up his line by a retrograde movement of Schimmelpfennig, divides it by 
carr3ing forward his extreme right, formed by Barlow's Division." 

To the same effect Doubleday : "It seems to me that the Eleventh Corps 
was too far out. It would have been better, in my opinion, if its left had been 
echeloned in rear of the right of the First Corps, and its right had rested on the 
sti'ong brick building, with stone foundations, at the Alms House. The enemy 
then could not have turned the right without compromising the safety of the 
turning column and endangering his communications, a movement he would hardlj* 
like to make, especially as he did not know what troops might be coming up." — 
Chancellor svWc and Gettfjshwg, }}. 141- 

changing front to the right, pushed out to meet the advancing enemy. 

On the heights occupied l)y Rodes, Ewell had been watching for 
Early's approach, and waiting for him to get into position. Early's 
formation being complete, Ewell and Hill signaled a general advance, 
and all along the line their batteries opened and their infantry sprang 
forward. What took place on the left — how the First Corps stub- 
bornly withstood the enemy's onsets, but was finally overcome and 
obliged to fall back to the town — has been narrated. How the 
Eleventh Corps was thrown out into the open plain where it had no 
choice or advantages of ground — not a ridge, hillock, or any other 
shelter for its line — has been explained. How the enemy availed 
himself of this advanced and exposed position of that corps will now 
be seen. 

Crossing Rock Creek, Gordon and Hays fell with overwiielming 
force upon Barlow's Division, drove it after an obstinate struggle, 

117 



from its position, and obliged it to i'all hack rapidly to the Alms 
House. Here Barlow fell severely wounded, and his division, taken 
in Hank by Hoke's column, which had come down the York Pike, was 
driven back into the town. 

Schimmelpfennig, as soon as Early's presence on the right was 
announced, changed front and began advancing across the wheatfields 
and meadows towards Kock Creek. Gordon's Brigade was then in the 
act of crossing the creek, and Doles's was approaching from Seminary 
Ridge. Von Amsberg's Brigade presented its front to Doles's, and 
Krzyzanowski's moved in solid squares to meet the united forces of 
Doles and Gordon. The hostile lines soon met each other in the open 
tields, and blazed away at close range into each other's faces. 

The struggle was stubborn but brief. Enfiladed l)v the ()ak Hill 
batteries, outflanked on l)oth sides and heavily assailed in I'ront, our 
thin unsupported line was soon forced back, and, under a heavy lire, 
withdrew across the open ground toward the town. In the course of 
this movement, both the infantry and the artillery halted at intervals, 
and fired Parthian volleys at their pursuers. "During the whole war 
1 never saw a more orderly retreat," says a veteran officer of the 
Sixty-first Ohio. 

Moving by the Harrisburg Road and across the fields east of it, 
portions of Early's Division reached the town in advance of the 
Eleventh Corps, and obliged the troops of that corps to fight their 
way through the streets to Cemetery Hill. It seems surprising now 
that a man of the corps escaped death or capture. To cover the 
retreat. General Howard hurried Coster's Brigade down from Cemetery 
Hill, but almost uselessly. Coster's four little regiments were speedily 
swept away by the advancing masses of the enemy. Heckman's Ohio 
Battery, stationed in reserve on the present grounds of the Pennsyl- 
vania College, fought desperately, but was taken in flank and obliged 
to retire with a loss of fifteen men and two guns. 

The losses of the Eleventh Corps Brigades which took part in 
this engagement were very heavy. Among the wounded and captured 
were (general Barlow% commanding the First Division, and Colonel 
J. S. Robinson, commanding the Eighty-second Ohio Infantry. ( V)lonel 
Francis Mahler, commanding the Seventy-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry, 
was mortally wounded. The One Hundred Fifty-seventh New 

118 



York Inlaiitry — a small regiment — lost 309 men, and was nearly 
destroyed. The One Hundred Seventh Ohio Infantry lost 211 
men, and the Eighty-second Ohio Infantry lost 181 of its 258 officers 
and men engaged. A large number of Eleventh Corps men were 
killed, wounded or captured while tighting their way through the 
streets of the town. General Schimmelpfennig, finding his retreat 
intercepted, concealed himself and eluded the enemy. 

The value of the service performed by Von Steinwehr in forti- 
fying Cemetery Hill was now seen. The strong lunettes, with 
artillery in position, made the height seem like a fortress. Doubt- 
less these works made a great impression upon the enemy, while 
to our own troops, coming in from the bloody struggles beyond the 
town, they seemed, indeed, a welcome refuge. 

Such was the battle of the First Day, in which the losses — 
greater than on either of the other two days — attest the severity 
of the fighting. ' ' The enemy had been too severely punished to 
pursue his advantage, ' - and it is at least doubtful whether he 

'' "Tfie First Corps," says Bates, "went into the tiglit with 8,200 men 
and came out with 2,450. The Eleventh Corps went in with 7,400, and retired 
with a little more than half that number." 

'2 On this point General Hunt contributes the following valuable testi- 
mony in a recent article in the Century Magazine: 

" Ewell's men were in no condition for an immediate assault. Of Rodes's 
8,000 nearly 3,000 were hors de combat. Early had lost over 500, and had but two 
brigades disposable, the other two having been sent on the report of the advance 
of Federal troops, probably the Twelfth Corps, then near by, to watch the York 
Road. Hill's two divisions liad been very roughly handled, had lost heavily, and 
he withdrew them to Seminary Hill, as Ewell entered the town, leaving the latter 
without more than 8,000 men to secure the town and the prisoners. Ewell's absent 
division was expected soon, but it did not arrive until near sunset, when the 
Twelfth Federal Corps and Stannard's Vermont Brigade were also up, and the 
Third Corps arriving. In fact an assault by the Confederates was not practicable 
before 5:30 p. m., and after that the position was perfectly secure." 

could have carried Cemetery Hill that evening, even if he had 
attempted it. 

When Costers's Brigade was sent out by Howard to cover the 
retreat of Schimmelpfennig and Barlow, the only troops remaining 
on Cemetery Hill were the Reserve Artillery and Orland Smith's 
Brigade, of Von Steinwehr's Division. On this little nucleus the 
Army of the Potomac now formed its line, right ;ind left. Smith's 

111) 



Brigade comprised the Fifty-iiftli and Seventy-third Ohio, tlie One 
Hundred Thirty-sixth- New York, and the Thirty-third Massa- 
chusetts Infantry. The positiou of tlie Fifty-fifth Ohio throui;hout 
tlie battle was at the crossing of the Emniittsburg and Taneytown 
roads, on the south side of the town. The Seventy-third Ohio, 
after holding several positions on Cemetery Hill, was placed on the 
left of the Fifty-fifth, with its line extending along the Taneytown 
Road. 

The shattered remnants of the First and Eleventh Corps rallied 
on Smith's Brigade, and prolonged its lines on Cemetery Hill and 
and Bidge. At this moment (5 p. m.) General Hancock arrived, 
and he was in himself a host. General Meade, who was at Taney- 
town, twelve miles distant, had sent him forward with orders to 
take command. Assisted by Howard, Warren, and Doubleday, 
Hancock applied himself to re-establishing the line, and soon had 
everything in readiness to meet an assault should one be attempted. 
"He was much pleased with the position on the heights," says Dou- 
bleday, "and considered it admirably adapted for a battle field. Its 
gentle slopes for artillery, its stone fences and rocky boulders to 
shelter infantry, and its rugged Ijut commanding eminences on either 
flank where far-reaching batteries could be posted were great advan- 
tages. It covered the principal roads to Washington and Baltimore, 
and its convex shaj^e, enabling troops to reinforce with celerity any 
point of the line from the centre, or by moving along the chord of the 
arc, was probably the cause of our final success." 

General Geary's Division, of the Twelfth Corps, was the first 
re-enforcement to reach the field. It began to arrive about 5.30 p. m., 
and took position a little north of the Bound Tops. Williams's Divi- 
sion, of the same corps, came up later in the evening, and made a 
demonstration on the Confederate left. Next came Stannard's Ver- 
mont Brigade, wdiich re-enforced Doubleday; then, at sundown, Bir- 
ney's, and at midnight, Humphreys's Division, of tlie vSecond Corps. 

After putting things to rights, Hancock, leaving Slocum in com- 
mand, rode back and reported the situation at the front to General 
Meade, who thereupon ordered the concentration of his army at 
Gettysburg. An hour after midnight, General Meade arrived in per- 
son on the field, and at daylight July 2 he began posting his army for 

\20 



battle. Two army corps — the Fifth and Sixth — were yet distant, l)ut, 
spurred by repeated messages, were hastening as rapidly as possible 
to the front. The Kleventh Corps remained in its position curving 
around the l)old salient of Cemetery Hill. Schurz''s Division lay 
across the Baltimore Pike, and extended over the ground now occu- 
pied by the National Cemetery, with Von Steinwehr's Division cover- 
ing its left front, and Barlow's, now under Ames, at its right and rear. 
The First Corj3s, of which (ireneral Newton had taken command by 
Meade's order^-^, was divided. Wadsworth, on the right of Ames 

'^ General Meade's reasons for not retaining (ieneral Doubleday in com- 
mand of the First Corps are not clear. The admirable conduct of the corps under 
Doubleday in the First Day's battle had covered it with imperishable laurels. 

(succeeding Barlow), held Culp's Hill, and Robinson's Division, on 
Von Steinwehr's lelt, extended across the Taneytown Road to Ziegler's 
Grove. Doubleday, now leading his own division, held it in reserve. 
At a little I'rame house behind Ziegler's (Trove General Meade estal)- 
lished his headquarters. The Twelfth Corps, including Geary's Divi- 
sion, which had l)een halted near Little Round Top, was put into 
position prolonging Wadsworth's line on Culp's Hill. The Second 
Corps, of which General Hancock resumed command, was put in to 
the left of the Eleventh, and the Third Corps (Sickles's) was directed 
to occii])y the ground vacated by Geary. The Fifth Corps, which did 
not arrive until one o'clock p. m., was at first held as a reserve on 
Cemetery Hill, but later in the day was moved over to the left to 
support the Third Corps and occupy the Round Tops. The Sixth 
Corps, which had to march from Manchester, Md., thirty-four miles 
distant, reached the field at 4 p. m., and was posted on the left as a 
reserve. 



121 



cLilc Battles of t\}c Scconb Day 



(3 



ENERAL LEE joined Ewell niul Hill cluriiiii- the lull tide of 
their success on Wednesday alternoou, and established his 
headquarters on Seminary Eidi;e. By noon of the 2d he had 
his entire army with him, except Stuart's Cavalry and Pickett's Divi- 
sion, which was marching from Ohambersburg. Ewell's Corps, which 
had possession of the town of Gettysburg, held the left. Hill's the 
centre, and Longstreet's the right of the Confederate line. After 
examining General Meade's disjjositions, Lee determined to precipitate 
Longstreet's Corps against our left, held by Sickles, while Ewell 
should hold himself in readiness to spring upon our right, and Hill 
should press our centre sutliciently to prevent our sending reinforce- 
ments to either tlank. In the absence of Pickett's Division, Anderson's 
Division of Hill's Corps was directed to co-operate with Longstreet. 

It was Meade's intention that Sickles should extend the line from 
Hancock's left along Cemetery Ridge as far as the Round Top ^loun- 
tain. Claiming that a portion of the ground on this part of the line 
was too low, and was commanded by higher ground farther out. Sickles 
advanced his corps half a mile or more beyond the intended position, 
and posted it upon the cross ridge along which the Emmittsbnrg Road 
leads to the town. At a point on that road known as the Peach 
Orchard, Sickles's line formed an angle with the apex turned towards 
the enemy. The right was held by Humphrey's Division, extending 
iVom the Peach Orchard back towards the Second Corps, and the lelt 
by Birney's Division, with Graham's Brigade at the salient. De Tro- 
briand's Brigade held Birney's centre, and Ward's Brigade his left, 
which rested at the wild, rocky gorge known as the Devil's Den. 
Behind Ward was the Little Round Top, and behind De Trobriand was 
a triangular wheat tield. Sickles's line was very long, and his centre at 
the I'each Orchard was much exposed. Between his right and Han- 
cock's left was a vacancy of live hundred yards. 

123 



These dispositions consumed the day until 8 o'chx-k v. m., u]) to 
whicli hour only the artillery and skirniisliei-s had been eniiai;ed. 
About 4 o'clock Meade rode out to the left, and Ibiiiid I he Third Corps 
much farther advanced than he had intended. Sickles ottered to with- 
draw it, but Meade said he feared it was then too late. At that instant 
the enemy's batteries opened, and the battle of the Second Day began. 
For more than an hour a terrific artillery tire was directed ai:;ainst 
Sickles's salient, and also ajrainst our ])osili()n on Cemetery Hill. 
"Splinters of iiun carriaii'es, pieces of tond)stones, even human leiis 
and arms and palpitaliuii' tlesh were llyiui;' about in every direction,'' 
says an eye-witness. Strange to say a woman's courage braved it all. 
"Mrs. General Barlow was waiting on the tield to tind her wounded 
husband, who never knew fear himself, a prisoner in the town. She 
was seen at this time, riding beside dreneral Howard in the terrible 
storm of shot and shell, calm and apparently fearless." — Underwood. 

Directly after four o'clock, a mighty crash of musketry was heard 
on the lelt. The storm had burst upon Sickles. AVith Hood's Division 
on his right, and McLaws's on his left, Longstreet fell like a thunder- 
bolt u])on Birney, and swept around by the left toward Bound Top. 
General AVarren, wdio had gone out with Meade to inspect Sickles's 
line, stood on Little Round Top, and saw Longstreet's line of battle 
sweep forward, a mile and a half in length. Ward was struck tirst, 
and then De Trobriand, and then Graham. De Trobriand's men had 
thrown up a hasty breastwork of rocks and logs, and they held it with 
obstinate valor. Each soldier fought as if he felt that the destiny of 
the country depended upon his personal etforts. With wild yells the 
foe pressed on, but he was repelled. Along Graham's front bayonets 
were crossed, and the combatants fought hand to hand. Our artillery 
there, of whicli the horses were all killed, was saved only by a bayonet 
charge. On the lelt. Ward repelled two assaults, but was at length 
overl)orne by weight of numl)ers. Birney sent to his assistance the 
Fortieth New York, under ( V)lonel Egan, from De Trobriand's Brigade. 

Fortunately, still further re-enforcements were at hand. General 
Warren's clear military perceptions took in the situation at a glance. 
He realized the vital importance of the Bound Tops, and the immi- 
nent danger we were in of losing those strongholds. The enemy had 
already ascended, an<l was sweeping over the largei" of the two ])eaks, 

128 



when Warren, seeing Barnes's Division of tlie Filtli Corps, rusliinii; to 
the assistance of Birney, took the responsibility of detacliinii' from it 
Vincent's Brigade, which he Jed immediately around to the western 
slope of Little Bound Toj). This act of Warren's was of incalculable 
importance, and was performed not a moment too soon. Vincent's 
men had scarcely gotten in among the huge boulders scattered over 
the slopes of the mountain, belbre the enemy was upon them. Their 
assailants were Hood's Alabamians and Texans, who, with bayonets 
lixed, came rushing Ibrwai'd, tiiree lines deep, uttering the wild yells 
lor which they were noted. Hundreds of them approached to within 
tilteen yards of ^'inceut's line, and were shot down, or hurled back 
wounded into the Vallev of Death.'* 



^^The rocky ravine between the Devil's Den and Little Round Top has been 
thus named. 

The struggle grew desperate, and Colonel A'^incent called urgently 
for re-enlbrcements. Barnes sent him Hazlett's (Regular) Battery, 
and Colonel CBourke's One Hundred Fortieth New York Infantry, 
of Weed's Brigade. With much ditiicidty the battery was dragged 
over the rocks to the summit of Little Round Top, while O'Rourke 
brought his regiment around upon the right of Vincent's line just as it 
was beginning to waver. But a volley from the enemy killed the gal- 
lant (3'Rourke, and staggered his men, causing a most perilous crisis. 
By extraordinary eiforts and splendid daring, the heroic Vincent 
re-established the line, but had scarcely done so when he fell mortally 
wounded. His successor in command was Colonel Rice, of the Forty- 
fourth New York, who was afterwards killed in the Wilderness. 
General Weed, who had led the re-enforcement to Vincent, at this 
time fell mortally wounded on the summit of Little Round Top, and 
while bending over him, and receiving his last message, Captain 
Hazlitt fell dead upon his body. 

The enemy's assault now extended around to the left, which was 
held by Colonel (afterwards Governor) CMiamberlain, with the Twen- 
tieth Maine. Chamberlain repulsed two assaults, and then charged 
with the bayonet, and cleared the valley just as Fisher's Brigade, of 
the Pennsylvania Reserves, swept over the hill, and joined in the 
victory. 

134 



But by this time the enemy had carried the I'each Orchard, and 
after a series ol' bh)ody struggles, had made himself master of the Wheat 
Field. Barnes's two remaining brigades — Tilton's and Sweitzer's 
— posted in the woods on the right of the AVheat Field, were outranked 
and driven back. At this juncture, CaldwelTs Division, sent over 
from Hancock's ( -orps, came to the rescue, and, with the brigades ol' 
Cross and Kelley leading, sup])orted by those of Brool^e and Zook,])ushed 
i'orward over the rugged ground between the Peach Orchard and the 
Wheat Field. For a Mdiile, Caldwell swejit all belore him; but the 
enemy's capture of the salient, and his advance from that direction, 
gave him an entilading fire. Colonel Cross and General Zook were 
killed, Brooke was outflanked, and the brigades of Brooke and Zook 
were surrounded. Caldwell managed to bring oil" his division, but not 
without great dilhculty and heavy loss. While he was retiring, Ayres's 
Fifth Corps Division came to his assistance, struck the enemy in Hank, 
and recovered the ground which Caldwell had relinquished, l^ut 
Ayres, like the rest, was outflanked from the direction of the Peach 
Orchard; the enemy gained his rear, and he was ol)liged to willidraw 
with the loss of half of his command. 

It was now dusk, and the enemy was ])ressing in lietween the 
Bloody Wheat Field and Little Round Top, when General (^rawford 
came dashing forward with McCandless's (Fifth Corps) Brigade, of the 
Pennsylvania Reserves. 

l^ravely led by Crawford and IMcC/'andless, this brigade charged 
from the Little Round Top across the ravine, drove the enemy from a 
stone wall on the op])osite side, and re-established a line of pickets at 
the edge of the wheat tield. At the same time, the Sixth Corps 
brigades of Nevins and Wheaton came up to Crawford's support, and 
Longstreet, quailing before this exhibition of fresh trooj)s, desisted 
from further attacks on this part of the held. The Round Tops were 
now securely ours, and during the night they were crowned with 
breastworks built of loose boulders gathered from the slopes of the 
mountain. The enemy rested upon llie opposite side of the ravine, 
and there intrenched, with his right lodged in the defile of the Devil's 
Den. 

At the conclusion of the desperate struggles just described, 
Birney's Division and its re-enforcements had all been driven back 

125 



upon the ridii'e whicli (Jeiieral Meade had desired the Third Cor])s to 
occupy. This lel't Humphreys in an isolated position, with his lel't 
flank presented to the enemy. At 5 p. m., General Sickles was 
severely wounded by a cannon-shot, and General Birney succeeded 
him in command. At six o'clock, Birney directed the rijiht division 
to fall back so as to keep in line wdth the left, but Humphreys had no 
sooner bejiun this movemeijt than he w^as obliged to contend with 
Barksdale's Brigade of McLaws's Division, launclied upon his left, 
and with Anderson's Division attacking his right. 

The situation at this time was critical. in the extreme, and Han- 
cock, who had been placed in command of the First, Second, and 
Third Corps, hurried over part of his own infantry, and Stannard's 
Vermont Brigade of tlie First Corps, to Humphreys's assistance. At 
the same time the Twelith Corps was summoned by Meade, and- — just 
as Lee had planned lor and desired — quitted its intrenchments on 
the right, wliere Ewell was w'aiting to sj)ring. 

Seeing Humj)hreys retiring, tlie Confederates l)elieved they had 
won the day, and the brigades of Wilcox, Perry, and Wright sprang 
impetuously to the assault. Posey and Mahone were to follow, and 
alter them Pender's Division. Wright's powerful Brigade fell with 
great force upon Humphrey's line, and captured three of his guns, of 
which the horses liad all been killed. But Ilum])hreys was an experi- 
enced and sturdy soldier, and, ])y a supreme effort, crushed and drove 
back Perry's Brigade, which was advancing between Wright and 
Wilcox. Nevertheless, Wright reached the crest of the rid^e, pierced 
our centre, and turned upon us one of our owm guns. Wilcox w^as 
almost abreast of Wright, and, for a time, the two had possession, as 
they claim, of several of our batteries; but, fortunately for us, they 
were not promptly supported by Posey and Mahone, nor by Pender, 
wiio had l)een too roughly handled in the First Day's battle to have 
recovered his appetite for fighting. Besides, re-entbrcements were rap- 
idly put forward where Humphreys most needed them, by General 
Hancock, whose indefatigable exertions and splendid daring furnished 
an inspiring example to his whole command. ^Vt the same time, An- 
derson's brigades, in their advanced ])ositi()n, were enfiladed by the 
Second Corps infantry, and by the artillery on Cemetery Hill. Wright 
had to let goof the ridge, and his brigade went l)ack with l)ut one field 



ollicer not disahled. \\'ik'<)X also retired, and the bloody strujiiile on 
the left was for this day ended. 

As Longstreet's attack on Sickles came to an end, EwelTs move- 
ment against Cemetery and Cnlp's Hills began. Commanding the 
ravine which separates these two eminences, Stevens's Maine Battery 
was posted on the western face of Culp's Hill, u])on the northern 
slopes of which WadswortlTs line of works was carried aronnd the 
eastern face of the Hill by (itreene's Brigade, which, with (iregg's Cav- 
alry Division, stationed farther east, alone held the intrenchments 
which the Twelfth (^orps had vacated when sent to re-enforce the left. 

The sun had almost set when Ewell opened a violent cannonade 
upon Cemetery and (hilp's Hills from Benner's Hill, on the opposite 
side of Rock Ch-eek. Our cannoneers re])lied with spirit, and in 
twenty minutes knocked the Benner's Hill batteries to pieces. The 
enemy could make but little use of his guns in the Rock Creek ravine, 
and his artillery tire therefore slackened. But in the gathering dusk 
of evening long lines of grey inl'antry, extending from the town to 
Rock Creek, were seen advancing in splendid array toward the slopes 
of Cemetery Hill. This was Early's column of assault, drawn up with 
the brigades of Hays and Hoke in front, and (lordon's in reserve. 
Hays's Louisiana "Tigers'" took the lead. What followed is well 
described by Bates : 

"The instant they [the 'Tigers'] emerged to view, Stevens to the 
"right opened all his guns, and Wiedrich and Ri(dvetts joined in the 
"chorus. The slaughter was terrible. Ricketts charged his guns with 
" canister and, with four shots per minute, was, at every discharge, 
"hurling death and confusion upon their ranks. Stevens's fire was 
"even more effective, as it enliladed the enemy's line. As the rebels 
"came within musket range, Howard's infantry, Avho had lain coin- 
"pletely protected by the stone wall, poured in volley after volley, 
"sweeping down the charging host. But that resolute body of men 
"believed themselves invincible, and now, with the eyes of both 
"armies upon them, they would not break so long as any were lett to 
"go forward. The stone walls were passed at a bound, and when the 
"enemy became mingled with our own men, Stevens was ol)liged to 
"cease tiring for fear of killing friend and foe alike, and Wiedrich was 
" unable to withstand the shock, his su])ports and his own men being 

137 



' swept back with a wliirlwincrs force. But Ricketts quailed not, 
'upon wliom tlie force of the blow fell. 'With iron hand,' says the 
' ciironicler of this battery, ' he kept every man to his post, and every 
' iiun in full play. The giving way of our line upon the leit brought 
' the ' Tigers ■ upon his iiank. Pouring in a volley from })ehind a stone 
' wall that ran close to his left piece, they leaped the fence, bayoneted 
'the men, spiked the gun, and killed or wounded the entire detach- 
*■ ment save three, who were taken prisoners. But the remaining guns 
' still belched Ibrth their double rounds of canister, the officers and 
'drivers taking the place of the fallen cannoneers. The battery's 
' guidon was planted in one of the earthworks, and a rebel lieutenant 
'was pressing forward to gain it. Just as he was in the act of 
' grasping it, young Riggin, its bearer, rode up and shot him through 
'the body, and seizing the colors, he leveled his revolver again, but 
'ere he could fire he fell pierced with bullets, and soon after expired. 
'The rebels were now in the very midst of the ])attery, and in the 
'darkness it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. A struggle 
'ensued for the guidon. It had fallen into the hands of the re1)el. 
' Seeing this, Lieutenant Brockway seized a stone and felled him to 
' the ground, and the next instant the rel)el was shot with his own 
'musket. A scene of the wildest confusion ensued. The men at the 
'batteries were outnumbered, and were being overjiowered by a mad- 
' dened and reckless foe. But still they clung to their guns, and with 
'handspikes, rammers, and stones defended them with desperate 
'valor, cheering each other on.' At this critical moment Carroll's 
' Brigade [of Hays's Division, Second ( -orps] came gallantly to the 
'rescue, and the enemy retreated in confusion. The men again flew 
'to their guns, and with loud cheers gave him some parting salutes 
' in the Ibrm of double-shotted canister." 

Thus ended Early's assault. The Louisiana "Tigers," which went 
into it over 1700 strong, came out of it a mere handful of 150, and 
never existed afterwards as an organization. 

To citizens of the town the defeated ( -onfederates expressed great 
indignation that the " Dutchmen," as they styled the Eleventh Corps, 
had shot down so many of their men, and in one sense there was 
reason for this complaint. The Chancellorsville rout was avenged. 

128 



Among" numerous instances of individual heroism displayed in 
this struggle, it is narrated that the brave color bearer of the One 
Hundred Seventh Ohio, Sergeant Pfeifel, sprang upon the wall, 
and deiiantly waved his flag in the very faces of his assailants. " The 
satisfaction was Init momentary," says Colonel Bachelder. " He was 
shot and the colors fell on the opposite side, but had scarcely touched 
the ground before Adjutant P. F. Young cleared the w^all and snatched 
them from the very grasp of his foe. The color bearer of the Eighth 
Louisiana ' Tigers ' in his enthusiasm, dashed gallantly forward, wav- 
ing his Hag as he advanced; seeing which, Adjutant Young, revolver 
in hand, with one desperate leap into the opposing ranks, seized the 
start' and shot the color bearer in his tracks. But he, too, was shot; 
a minie ball ])assed through his left arm and pierced his lung; a 
Confederate officer aimed a fearful blow at his head, which was skil- 
fully parried by Lieutenant Suhrer; and reeling to his regiment, still 
clinging to the flag, he sank into the arms of Sergeant-Major Bricker, 
and was saved. And (ireneral Ames ])romoted him to a captaincy on 
his start' for his lira very."" 

On EwelFs left, Johnson's Division, led by the Stonewall Brigade, 
crossed Rock Creek about sundown, and attempted to storm the 
breastworks of Wadsworth and Greene, but Johnson was repulsed in 
every assault, losing heavily, and one of his brigades ( Jones's ) was 
pulverized Ijy the rtre of our artillery. Further to the east Johnson 
had an encounter with Gregg's Cavalry, which fought dismounted, and 
made vigorous resistance. But between Greene and Gregg Slocum's 
rifle-pits were empty, and there was nothing to prevent Johnson from 
marching right into them, which he did, establishing his line but a 
short distance from the Baltimore Pike, the Reserve Artillery, and 
General Meade's headquarters. This ended the fighting of the Second 
Day, and l)rought on tlie most critical situation of the whole battle. 

The Ohio regiments which took part in the struggle on Cemetery 

Hill were the Twenty-filth, Seventy-fifth, and One Hundred Seventh, 

all of the Eleventh Corps, and ten companies of the Fourth in 

Carroll's Second Corps Brigade. The Twenty-lillli and Seventy-fifth 

stood flank to flank, as on Barlow's Knoll, their line extending along 

the foot of the Hill where the Seventy-fifth Memorial now stands, and 

following the stone fence wdiich ascends the Hill in front of the present 

town reservoir. 

129 



Ct]c Battles of tt)c CI]ir5 Day 



aT MIDNIGHT July 2, Rnger's Division and the detaclied part 
of Geary''s, of the Twelfth Corps, returning from their move- 
ment to re-enforce the left, endeavored to get back into their 
intrenchments on Culp's Hill, and much to their surprise found them 
occupied by the enemy. General A. vS. Williams ("•(31d Pap,"" as he 
was afterwards familiarly called in the Army of the Cumberland ), 
now in temporary command of the Twelfth Corps, immediately re- 
established the connection of Greene's Brigade with the other brigades 
of Geary's Division, pushed forward Rugers Division on Geary's right, 
posted a strong force of artillery sweeping the coveted breastworks, 
and gave instructions to his whole command to attack at daybreak and 
drive out the intruders. 

But Johnson had no notion of being driven out ; quite the reverse. 
Meade's most important line of communications — the Baltimore Pike 
— was almost within his grasp, and its possession would place him in 
rear of our positions on Cemetery Hill and Ridge. He had been 
re-enforced during the night l)y two brigades of Rodes's Division, and 
at 20 minutes l)el'ore 4 o'clock in the morning he gave the signal for an 
advance of his whole line against Williams. A prolonged and bloody 
struggle ensued, Williams's troops — Geary's Division and Ruger's — 
were skillfully posted amongst rocks, trees and ravines, and main- 
tained an unyielding front. The infantry was vigorously seconded by 
the artillery, and so severe was the fire that a wide belt of timber 
along the line was killed by it, and to this day attests, with deadened 
tree-stems and branches, the blighting rage of the conflict. 

Johnson's infantry came forward three lines deep, and repeatedly 
charged as one mass, but was each time repulsed, leaving the ground 
strewn with its dead and w^ounded. At length there was a pause in 
the fighting; the enemy was preparing for a last desperate charge. 

130 



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"'Suddenly the quiet was broken by a yell bursting Ironi thousands of 
"lung:s, and the next instant their grey lines emerged in sight, dashing 
"madly on. Singularly enough, they were preceded a lew hundred 
"yards by a ra])id dog, with vengelul eyes and teeth, yel])ing and 
" sounding defiance."''' — Bates. 

With its wonted elan the famous Stonewall Brigade led the Con- 
federate charge, and the blow fell squarely upon Kane's Brigade, of 
(xeary's Division. Kane's men reserved their fire until the enemy 
came within close range, then sprang to their feet and delivered a 
volley. This staggered the assaulting column, but it approached 
within twenty paces before it was finally thrown back broken and 
bleeding. Geary then advanced on Kane's left, and Ruger's Division, 
which had come in on the right, attacked the enemy's lett flank and 
threatened to assail him in the rear. Thus the abandoned intrench- 
ments were recovered after seven hours of desperate tighting, begin- 
ning at A o'clock in the morning and lasting until 11. The enemy fell 
back to Rock Creek and covered liis front with a breastwork. 

During this struggle the First Maryland Infantry on the National 
side fought with the Second Maryland on the Confederate side. After 
the tighting had subsided, two soldiers of the Union regiment were 
observed digging a grave near the spot where the memorial of the 
Twenty-ninth Ohio Infantry now stands on Culp's Hill. Being asked 
for whom the grave was intended, one of them replied: "For my 
brother, who fought us to-day. He was a Rel)el, but now he is dead, 
and I am going to bury him." 

From the close of the struga'le on (Uil])'s Hill until one o'clock 
p. m. the whole field was quiet. The calm was portentous — a fit 
precursor to the suinvme crisis of the battle, and of the war. 
General Lee was gathering up all his strength for a last determined 
elfort. Having failed to crush Meade's army in successive assaults, 
first upon its left and lelt centre, then upon its right centre, and 
finally upon its extreme right, he now proposed to strike again its 
left centre, near the point where Wright's attack, during the even- 
ing of the second, had l)een so nearly successful. For this puri)ose 
he had Pickett's Division, which had come up from Chambersburg, 
and had not jQi been engaged. That Division, composed mostly of 
young Virginians, was the pride of Longstreet's Corps, and the 

131 



ilower of the Confederate army. Probably a finer military organi- 
zation never existed. 

In the woods out at Wartield's, a mile and a half irom Han- 
cock's position on Cemetery Ridge, this division was drawn up in 
two lines, with the brigades of Kemper and Garnett leading, and 
that of Armistead supporting. Heth's Division, commanded by 
Pettigrew, formed the left of the attacking column. To cover its 
flanks, Wilcox's Brigade and Perry's, (under Lang) moved on the 
right, and the brigades of Lane and Scales, under Trimble, on the 
left. AVright's Brigade followed in the rear. Thus, compactly 
formed, the assaulting column was prepared to strike to the right, 
left or front, and to fall and explode, as it were, upon a given 
point, with the full force of 1.5,000 men. To prepare its way, and 
give it still greater momentum, Lee brought together his batteries 
so as to engage our line, and shatter it at the points to be attacked. 

All the morning General Meade, assisted l)y Hancock and the 
corps commanders, had been busy rectifying his line, and rearrang- 
ing his batteries. His front being narrower than the enemy's, fewer 
guns could be placed upon it, l)ut for that very reason a larger 
number was held in reserve, ready to assist the batteries on the 
line, or to take the place of those disabled. Along the western 
crest of the Ridge, General Hunt, Chief of Artillery, posted seventy 
guns, making, with those on Little Round Top and Cemetery Hill, 
eighty or ninety pieces in position either to repel or to enfilade an 
an attack upon the centre.^ '^ 

^^The Reserve Artillery was divided into tliree Brigades: 1, McGilvery's, 
on the left, with 41 pieces; 2, Hazzard's, in the Center, with 26 pieces; 3, Os- 
borne's, on the right, with 50 pieces. 

Longstreet had command of the grand assault prepared by Lee, 
and everything being ready — the cannoneers at their guns, and the 
infantry ready to advance — his orders were awaited. He doubted 
the success of the attack, and was reluctant to begin it. Neverthe- 
less, at ten minutes past one p. m. a solitary gun, and then an- 
other, on Seminary Ridge broke the silence. It was the signal : 
Be on your guard! The echoes of these shots had scarcely died 
away before the whole Confederate line, from the town to the 
Peach Orchard, seemed to be ablaze, and 138 guns were thunder- 

132 



ing- with all tlieir energy against Cemetery Hill and Ridge. Alter 
a few minutes had been spent in taking a survey of the enemy's 
batteries, every available gun on our side responded, and the most 
prodigious cannonade took place which this continent has ever seen. 
" I do not believe,'' says General Gibbon, " there was ever a hotter 
tire of artillery in the w^orld. It was the most terrific scene I ever 
witnessed." 

The fury of the Confederate batteries fell mainly upon the 
Eleventh Corps ( Howard's ) on Cemetery Hill, and upon Hancock's 
command comprising tiie First, Second, and Third Corps (under New- 
ton, Cribbon, and Birney, respectively) on Cemetery Ridge. Passing 
far beyond our lines, the enemy's shells burst amidst the Reserve 
Artillery and tiie supply and ambulance trains, sowing in every direc- 
tion an awful harvest of havoc and death. Nothing was heard but the 
roar ol' cannon, and the thousand hideous noises made by iiying shells, 
solid shot, and schrapnel. Infantry officers directed their men to hug 
the earth, and seek all the shelter they could, but in spite of this the 
loss of life was irightful. Shells plowed the ground, and the air was 
filled with their smoking fragments. Caissons were exploded, cannon 
splintered, and gun carriages knocked to pieces. Upon the promontory 
of Cemetery Hill, which projected, as it were, into the enemy's lines, 
there fell a perfect tempest of fire and iron. So suddenly l)roke the 
storm, says an eye witness, that '"'• soldiers and officers who leaped, as 
it began, from their tents, and from lazy siestas on the grass, were 
stricken in their rising, with mortal wounds, and died, some with 
cigars between their teeth, some with pieces of food in tlieir fingers, 
and one, at least — a pale young German from Pennsylvania — with a 
miniature of his sister in his hands that seemed more meet to grasp 
an artist's pencil than a musket. Horses fell shrieking such awful 
cries as Cooper told of, and w^rithing themselves about in hopeless 
agony. The boards of fences scattered by explosion, flew in splinters 
through the air. The earth, torn up in clouds, blinded the eyes of 
hurrying men; and through the branches of the trees and among the 
gravestones in the cemetery a shower of destruction crashed cease- 
lessly." 

"Around the little farm house wdiere General Meade had his 
headquarters, the shells burst," says the New York Tunes correspond- 

133 



ent, " as many as six in a second, constantly two in a second. They 
burst in the yard, burst next to the fence, on l)oth sides garnished, as 
usual, with the hitched liorses of aides and orderlies. The fastened 
animals reared and plunged with terror. Then one fell, then another. 
Sixteen lay dead and mangled before the tire ceased, still fastened by 
their halters, which gave the impression of being wickedly tied up to 
die ])ainfully. These brute victims of cruel war touched all hearts. 
Through the midst of the storm of screaming and exploding shells, 
an ambulance driven by its frenzied conductor at full speed, presented 
to all of ns the marvellous spectacle of a horse going rapidly on three 
legs. A hinder one had been shot oiF at the hock. A shell tore up 
the little step at the headquarters cottage, and ripped bags of oats as 
with a knife. Another soon carried olf one of its two pillars. Soon a 
spherical case burst opposite the open door. Another ripped through 
the low garret. The remaining pillar went almost immediately to the 
howl of a shot that Whitworth must have made." 

General Meade i-emarked to some of his company that if they 
expected to live through the battle, they had better "adjourn'- to some 
other spot. He then rode over to Powers' Hill, and made his head- 
quarters temporarily with General Slocum. 

For an hour and a half there was no intermission on either side 
in the tremendous cannonade. With coats thrown off and sweaty 
faces begrimed with powder, our cannoneers worked with savage 
energy. The guns grew heated, and not only to cool them, but to 
replace the disalded pieces and save ammunition for the real crisis yet 
to come, the watchful and sagacious artillery chief. General Hunt, 
directed the line to cease firing. One after another the groups of 
blazing muzzles, beginning at Cemetery Hill, stopped their flash and 
roar, causing the enemy to infer that they had been silenced. 

Pickett now explained to his men what they were expected to do, 
and awaited Longstreefs command. But Longstreet was silent. "I 
shall go forward, sir," said Pickett ; a nod of assent was the only 
response. Pickett gave the word; his soldiers, anticipating desperate 
work, exchanged farewells with each other, and from Cemetery Ridge 
the long gray lines were seen emerging in magnificent array from the 
distant timl)er. For some minutes not a shot from our side disturbed 
the movement, and the National army observed it in wondering and 

134 



admiring silence. But as the assaulting column gTadually deployed, 
l)rigade after brigade, into the open ground, and its purpose began to 
be realized, one gun after another spoke its defiance, and General 
Hunt's artillery opened upon it again all along the left and centre. 
Great gaps were torn in the oncoming mass, but its steady ranks closed 
again as tranquilly as the waters close over a sinking pebble, and the 
splendid lines swept on unshaken. Never was there a tiner exhibition 
of physical courage; never, in its physical aspects, was a sublimer 
spectacle witnessed in war. 

Soon its line of approach brought the assaulting column within 
range of our batteries on Little Round Top and Cemetery Hill, as well 
as of those on the Ridge, and every available piece was brought to 
bear, but the infantry, lodged behind the low stone fences, reserved its 
hre for still closer range. " They are not near enough yet," was the 
caution of the judicious and vigilant Gibbon. 

At first Pickett directed his movement toward Doubleday's (First 
Corps) Division, which had been thrust into the Second Corps line 
between the divisions of Gibbon (under Harrow) and CVildwell; but 
finding he was taking ground farther to the right than he had been 
instructed to do, Pickett, amidst the appalling fire which was sweeping 
down his regiments, coolly changed direction until he had gained suffi- 
cient ground to the left, then turned again to the front, and made 
straight for the divisions of Gibbon and Hays. AVilcox, commanding 
on the right, failed to conform to this oblique movement, and kept 
straight ahead, thus causing a wide vacancy to be formed between 
Pickett's right and Wilcox's left. Quickly Stannard's Vermont Bri- 
gade and a small brigade under Gates, holding positions some distance 
in front of Hancock's main line, rushed into this breach, and poured a 
sweeping fire into Picketfs right flank. His opposite flank was in like 
manner assailed by the Eighth Ohio Infantry, which also held an 
advanced position, on the picket line near the Emmittsburg Road. 

But lar from being dismayed by all this, or even by the loss of 
more than hall' their nund)er, Picketfs Virginians, with yells which 
rose above the roar of musketry, rushed at the "double quick" upon 
the lines of Hays and Gibbon. At the distance of a hundred yards, 
Gibbon's reserved fire was poured into their faces, and Hunt's cannon 
mowed them down with grape and shra])nel until their first line 

135 



melted into the second, and the second into the third, and there was 
but one mass left, yet a mass still compact, determined, and unfalter- 
ing! On it came, led by the fiery Armistead, on foot, shouting and 
swinging his hat upon his sword. Our cannoneers and infantry, 
although their losses had been terrible, now also made their supremest 
efibrts, and Hancock, Gibbon, and their sturdy lieutenants were omni- 
present amidst the storm, exerting themselves by word and deed to 
steady their lines. 

Near the front of Webl)'s Brigade a clump of trees overlooked the 
whole plateau, and was the objective point toward which Pickett's 
column aimed. On this commanding ground Oushing's Regular and 
Brown's Rhode Island l^atteries were posted, and upon it the Con- 
federate artillery had directed a concentrated lire. Brown's Battery 
was virtually destroyed, and Oushing's horses were all down, and his 
guns all disabled, save one. Standing by that one, the heroic Gushing, 
mortally wounded, cried: ''I will give them one more shot. General 
Webb! Good l)ye!" tired, and dropped dead.^*' At the same instant 



^® General Doubleday so narrates in his Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Re- 
cently, however, the writer revisited the spot where Cushing's Battery stood, and 
there met some of the surviving members of that battery who participated in its 
action of Jnly 3, and who very positively deny that Captain Cashing personally 
tired his piece, or made the exclamation here attributed to him. On the other hand 
they declared with equal positiveness that no language could exaggerate Captain 
Cushing's gallantry. He fell, they said, struck by a musket ball (the force of which 
"whirled him clear around") wliile holding with one luind his entrails already torn 
out by a mortal shot, and while, not himself firing but directing the tire, of Iiis only 
remaining piece. — A. E. L. 

the Confederate column rushed to the fence, and fell like a thunder- 
bolt upon the brigades of Webb, Hall, and Harrow. Our line was 
dislodged, and fell back. "Give them cold steel, boys!'' cried Armis- 
tead, as he and his men leaped over the wall and rushed for our 
disabled batteries. With his hand laid upon one of the Union guns, 
Armistead fell abreast of the coppice, and the iSouthern Cross waved 
exultant within the Union lines! i' 



1 "• A granite tablet, placed about thirty yards east of the stone fence, now 
marks tlie spot where General Armistead fell. A few yards further on, anotlier 
tablet designates the companion spot where fell the heroic Cushing 

13G 




BHST onto OBHT ARTIUER^: 



ims BATTERY. ::■,.,: 

CAPT LEWIS HECKI^AN C01«l«AHDm& 

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IT ENGftSffi t«t fUCMY WITH SfiEAt G*M 
" ^ AfTCR StWRt WSS IT WAS WiTHBBA 



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But the Rebellion had reached its hiiih water mark. Wheeler's 
Battery rushed up to take the place of C'ushinji's, and the retiring; 
infantry rallied at an eartliwork a few paces beiiind the fence. Then 
the combatants closed with each other, hand 1o hand. The su]3reme 
crisis of the war had come, and its great issues were made up in a life- 
and-death combat between the proud chivalry of Virginia and the 
stalwart yeomen of the North. 

Watching the j^rogress of Pickett's Division, and seeing it pene- 
trate our line, General Lee believed his assault had won. He saw, as 
he thought, the gates of Philadelphia and Baltimore laid open to him, 
and he had his cavalry upon our flanks ready to gather up the irag- 
ments of our beaten army. But not yet! The men oi' the North, 
tiiougli pushed back, were neitlier discouraged nor dismayed. New 
England, New York, the Keystone State and the Great West stood 
side by side, and all rushed together to the rescue. At Hancock's 
word, the Nineteenth Massachusetts and the Forty-second New York, 
led by Norman J. Hall, one of the defenders of Fort Sumter, sprang 
with flashing steel upon the triumphant Virginians. The Twentieth 
Massacliusetts and the Seventh Michigan swung in at the same time 
on the ''double-quick." Regiments were mingled with each other in 
the melee, and officers and men^ — privates, lieutenants, and generals — 
fought together indiscriminately. Bayonets were used and muskets 
clubbed. Hancock and Gibbon led forward their reserves and stormed 
up and down like lions enraged until both were wounded. Webb was 
stricken down l)ut his brigade stood firm, and Hays, conspicuous for 
his personal valor, repelled Pettigrew with a terrific fire. Our losses 
were great, but those of the Confederates were appalling. Among 
their leaders, Armistead and Garnett were killed, and Kemper and 
Triml)le were wounded, while their regimental and line officers went 
down by scores. Then, at the critical moment, a storm of canister 
irom the batteries on Cemetery Hill crashed into their left flank, and 
marked its course with the dead and dying. That host which, a few 
minutes before, had come up so proudly, melted away like snow 
l)eibre the summer sun, and soon there remained of it nauglit but its 
shadow. For a moment more that shadow trembled along the wall of 
fire which glared upon it, and then, swittly receding, it disappeared. 
Pickett's Division was annihilated, and its commander, looking about 

137 



liini, Ibiiiid himself alone. Of 4,800 men of his own division who 
lollowed him in the assault, 3,500 had been sacriticed. 

On the riiiht CJaldwelFs Division presented an unyieldin<>; front to 
Wilcox, and with its artillery plowed his lines irom end to end. At 
the same time Stannard iaoed aljout and fell ni)on Wilcox's flank, just 
as he had before fallen upon Pickett's. Thus resisted and assailed, 
the right Confederate flanking column turned and fled from the field, 
leaving in Stannard's hands scores of battle flags and hundreds of 
prisoners. On the op^wsite flank the Eighth Ohio Infantry, which 
had stubbornly kept to its advanced position although Pickett's 
column swept past it, now charged in like manner, and gathered in 
three flags and many captives. 

The Confederate brigades of Perry and Wright were yet in 
reserve, and awaited orders to renew the combat, but none came. 
Seated on a fence, Longstreet saw^ the remnants of Pickett's Division 
disappear, and merely directed his staft' officers to gather up the strag- 
glers. He was thinking more of the possibilities of withstanding an 
attack from our side than of resuming the aggressive. 

The battle of (lettysburg was over. 

Notable among its closing scenes were the cavalry operations, by 
which the enemy attempted to raid around our right flank, while w^e, 
reciprocally, undertook to raid the enemy's right, and fall upon his 
ammunition trains. This latter enterprise was essayed by General 
Kilpatrick, simultaneously with Pickett's assault. Moving out by the 
leit, Kilpatrick, with Farnsworth's and Merritt's Cavalry Brigades, and 
(Jraham's and Elder's Batteries, encountered part of Hood's Division 
then making a demonstration against the Round To})s. A stubborn 
combat took place, resulting in severe loss to our trooj)ers, and their 
withdrawal, though not without their having held the attention of 
forces that might otherwise have co-operated with Pickett. In this 
aflair. Colonel Farnsworth, a valuable cavalry ofhcer, lost his life 
while leading a charge. 

On the right, Stuart, with the ( 'Onfederate cavalry divisions of 
Wade Hampton and Fitz Hugh Lee, crossed the Y(n"k Turnpike, and 
advanced southward towards the Bonaughtown Road, intending to fall 
u])on our rear and harass our retreat in the event of Pickett's success. 
But Generals Custer, Mcintosh, and Gregg came in Stuart's way, and 

138 



after a desperate contest, partly witli sabres, and lasting several hours, 
succeeded in repelling this raid, and obliged 8tuart to go back and 
rejoin Ewell. 

After Picketfs repulse. General Meade 1 bought of making a 
counter attack with the Fifth and Sixth Corps, and with this purpose 
in view he rode over to the left, and directed Crawford to send out a 
reconnaissance. Crawford sent McCandless' Brigade, which advanced 
across tlie Bloody Wheat Field, where hundreds of tlie wounded, 
dying, and dead of Tliursday's l)attle were yet lying. McCandless 
attacked and drove back first Benning's Brigade and then Kershaw's, 
of McLaws's Division, and captured one gun and 300 prisoners. While 
General Meade and his son were watching this movement from the 
Little Round Top, their horses were killed by shots from a Confederate 
battery. 

Meanwhile night approached, and the idea of a counter attack was 
abandoned, although Longstreet, as he has since declared, thought it 
unaccountable that we did not pursue the advantages we had gained. 

That night General Lee gave instructions for the retreat of his 
army to Virginia. At a late hour he and A. P. Hill were seen sitting 
together in HilFs tent, engaged in low and earnest conversation. 
Before them was spread a county map, which they examined by the 
light of a solitary candle. By tiie time Lee rode to his headquarters it 
was one o'clock in the morning. General Imboden, of the Confederate 
cavalry, who (by request) was awaiting him there, says: 

''AVlien he approached and saw us, he spoke, reined up his horse, 
and essayed to dismount. The ertbrt to do so betrayed so much physi- 
cal exhaustion that I stepped forward to assist him, but before I 
reached him he had alighted. He threw his arm across his saddle to 
rest himself, and, tixing his eyes upon the ground, leaned in silence 
upon his equally weary horse, the two forming a striking group, as 
motionless as a statue. The moon shone full upon his massive 
features, and revealed an expression of sadness I had never seen upon 
that tine countenance l)eibre in any of the vicissitudes of the war 
through which we had passed. I waited for him to speak until the 
silence became embarrassing, when, to break i1, and change the cur- 

139 



rent of liis thoiiiilils, I remarked, in a sympathetic tone, and in allu- 
sion to his great fatigue: 

'■•'General, tills has been a hard day on you/ 

"This attracted his attention. He looked up and replied mourn- 
fully : 

'•'' Yes, it has been a sad, sad day to us,' and immediately relapsed 
into his thoughtful attitude. After a minute or two, he suddenly 
straightened up to his full height, and turning to me with more anima- 
tion, energy, and excitement of manner than 1 had ever seen in him 
before, he addressed me in a voice tremulous with emotion, and said: 

" ' General, 1 never saw troops behave more magnificently than 
Pickett's Division of Virginians did to-day in their grand charge 
upon the enemy. And if they had been supported as they were to 
have been — but for some reason not yet i'ully explained to me they 
were not — we would have held the position they so gloriously won 
at such a fearful cost of noble lives, and the day would have been 
ours.' 

"' After a moment he added in a tone almost of agony : 

'"Too bad! Too bad! Uh, too, too bad!'" 

"I shall never forget as long as I live," adds Imboden, "his lan- 
guage, his manner, and his appearance and expression of mental 
sullering.'' 



140 





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(L\}c ^idb anb its Illcnxorials 



i j |ITHIN the space of three days and iiiirhts five .iireat battles 

.^^\./ were fought at Gettysburg, exclusive of the collisions of the 

cavalry. Two important cavalry engagements took place 

on the tield, additional to that of July 1, between General Buford's 

command and A. P. HilFs infantry. 

Until recenty public atlention has been chiefly drawn to Long- 
street's prodigious assault and bloody repulse during the afternoon of 
July third, but a more considerate study of the field shows that the 
struggles of July first and second were quite as desperate as that of 
the third, and even more critical to the National arms. 

The success of Longstreet's final assault was scarcely possible. 
Had Pickett's column penetrated our lines even farther and more 
effectually than it did, it would probably have been crushed — as it 
certainly could have been — by the Sixth Corps, held in reserve. But 
had the Gonfederate army been successful in its efforts to reach Ceme- 
tery Hill on the First Day, or to storm it on the Second; or had 
Long-street captured Little Round Top, or succeeded in crushing our 
Left Center, all of which he came so near doing on July second, a 
great and perhaps irretrievable disaster would have befallen the army 
of General Meade. 

The most perilous crisis of all to that army culminated during the 
night of the second, when General Ewell possessed himself of the 
breastworks on Gulp's Hill, Avhich had })een vacated by the Twelfth 
Corps. The recapture of those works cost one of the most desperate 
struggles, and was one of the most gallant performances of the entire 
battle. 

141 



The resistance made by the First and Eleventh Corps to the ad- 
vance of Hill and Ewell on the First Day has not received the atten- 
tion or appreciation it deserves. The First Corps covered itself with 
<;lory on that occasion, and the Eleventh, thongh far less iortunately 
situated, or al)ly commanded, did all that brave men fi<i;hting' under 
such disadvantages could do to withstand their far outnumbering 
assailants. The obstinate valor of our trooj)s in this day's fighting cost 
them enormous losses, but seriously crippled the enemy, and secured 
for our army the advantages of position which so greatly contributed 
to its success. 

The memorials which have been erected marking the positions 
occupied l)y ditferent organizations, and the thoroughfares which have 
been opened, enabling visitors to go readily to any part of the field, 
have greatly aided the recent study, and essentially improved the 
popular understanding of the battle. This is especially true as to the 
action of the First Day, which it is now seen, was great alike in its 
extent, and its resulting losses. 

No battle-field of tlie world has been so intelligibly and impress- 
ively marked out as this one, and no other existing theatre of arms 
will be so attractive tp the general visitor, or more interesting to the 
military student. 

Of over one hundred beautiful memorials which already adorn 
the field, the State of (3hio has erected twenty, of which the first and 
only correct illustrations yet published are herein given. These choice 
specimens of the engraver's art have been prepared from photographs 
taken expressly for the purpose, and present to the eye of the reader 
some interesting views of the battle-field in addition to the memorials 
represented. 



143 



3^77-5 



